A Chronicle of a Catholic Seminarian's Summer Apostolate Experience at St. Benedict's Parish in Chicago, IL.
As I Work and Pray with the People of St. Benedict’s Parish, I Pray That This Blog Becomes a Prayer Itself! May All Who Encounter the Words Written Here Grow Closer to Christ and His Blessed Mother!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Another late start today - mass at 8:30AM, followed by Lauds and a quick breakfast. Mary Fitzgerald, the parish nurse, had scheduled a tour of the St. Vincent Depaul/Catholic Charities Senior Center for 10:00AM, so I couldn't afford to mess around too much.

It turns out that Liza, the Secretary at the Senior Center, is a St. Ben's parishioner who worked at the rectory for 10 years. She was more than happy to show me around the place with Mary Fitz, and I learned enough to know that the low-income seniors in the Irving/Lincoln Park area now have a very nice to live - and there's quite a few of them! Between St. Ben's very own Laboure House, the Martha Washington home, and this particular building, you'd think there would be enough living space for any and all Seniors in need (pardon my ignorance, but I like to think that in a town so Catholic, finding suitable living with FAMILY for the elderly wouldn't be so difficult). At any rate, seniors of all varieties and incomes have housing that is structured to fit their needs at all of these locations; rent is charged according to their own income, and the facilities make me wish I was 55 or older, that's for sure. There's even the Advocate Health Care Clinic right next door. The only problem? Even with all of these locations for seniors (and more less than a mile away!) There's actually a 2-4 year waiting list for applicants already! That's how many needy seniors there are in the city?!?!? I couldn't believe it!

A few minutes before we left (Mary Fitz was filling in Liza on all the parish gossip) Liza managed to give me her business card in case I could volunteer in the future. Though I'm sure volunteering here would be a bit of a tall order (and having volunteered at a nursing home just last summer, I do know a thing or two about it already), my schedule as of late has been freed up now that's school's out. I will have to seriously consider it alongside the other option of visiting patients at Resurrection Hospital, where I visited with Mary Fitz just last week.

I had lunch with two more college buddies (thank you Melissa and Christina!), and got back to the rectory just in time to find out that I had BARELY MISSED Kevin Walsh, the high school recruitment director. We had been trying to find each other for the past few days in regards to a LAN party for high school recruitment that's scheduled for tomorrow. I went to the high school to look for him. No luck. My voicemail was also empty when I got back. NOT good. I hope I can find him tomorrow, as video games and high school recruitment is familiar turf for me. I hope he didn't decide to cancel at the last minute!

Dinner came (salmon, with a side of zucchini and potatoes pancakes...not bad!) and went, with choir practice afterward. Looks like I'm filling in for the cantor on Saturday this weekend. It's nice to have the forewarning this time, that's for sure. Bonus: We're singing both the Tantum Ergo and the Pange Lingua for Corpus Christi (There's going to be a procession, too! w00t! Praised be Jesus Christ, now and forever!!!), though only the latter will be in latin. No matter, the music is beautiful regardless of what language the lyrics are sung in. Lord, have mercy on me and keep me in your radiant love forever. AMEN!

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About This Blog

Before graduating from the college seminary, every seminarian studying for the Chicago Archdiocese is required to spend at least one summer in a “discernment internship” – an apostolate program in which a seminarian spends ten consecutive weeks living in a parish rectory working with the resident priests as well as with the parish community at large.As a part of this apostolate, each participating seminarian maintains a journal of his day-to-day activities.

It is the hope and prayer of the author of this blog that, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, the sharing of this discernment experience may draw all closer to Christ, her Son and our redeemer. May He fill the hearts of all who visit this tiny corner of God’s grand universe with his infinite love!

About Me

Prayer for Priests

"O Jesus, I pray for Your faithful and fervent priests; for Your unfaithful and tepid priests; for Your priests laboring at home or abroad in distant mission fields; for Your tempted priests; for Your lonely and desolate priests; for Your young priests; for Your dying priests; for the souls of Your priests in purgatory.

But above all I recommend to You the priests dearest to me; the priest who baptized me; the priests who absolved me from my sins; the priests at whose masses I assisted and who gave me Your Body and Blood in Holy Communion; the priests who taught and instructed me; all the priests to whom I am indebted in any other way. O Jesus, keep them close to Your heart, and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen."